German businesses lead the EU in innovation

23rd of January 2013

Among the 27 member states of the EU Germany takes the lead in terms of innovation activity according to a new Eurostat survey.

Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union and this survey focuses on product and process innovation, as well as organisational and marketing innovation.Fifty-three percent of enterprises from industry and services in the EU reported innovation activity between 2008 and 2010.

In the ranking Germany takes the lead with 79 per cent innovative enterprises, followed by Luxembourg (68 per cent) and Belgium (61 per cent). Next comes Portugal, Sweden and Ireland with 60 per cent of companies considered "innovative".

The lowest levels of innovation are found in Bulgaria (27 per cent), Poland (28 per cent), Latvia (30 per cent), Romania (31 per cent) and Hungary (also 31 per cent).

Among EU enterprises with product and process innovation activities, only 27 per cent cooperated with other enterprises, universities or public research institutes between 2008 and 2010, while the remaining 73 per cent innovated using only internal resources.

The highest proportions of innovation cooperation were found in Cyprus where 62 per cent cooperated on products and processes, followed by Austria (51 per cent)and Slovenia (45 per cent).

The lowest level of co-operation among enterprises was in Italy (12 per cent), Malta (18 per cent) and Portugal (20 per cent).

Only a little more than 10 per cent of businesses in the EU have carried out innovation in collaboration with a partner in another member state, a country within EFTA or an acceding or candidate country.

Three per cent have co-operated with a partner in the United States and two per cent with a partner in India or China.